BBC Antiques Roadshow expert says 'it's phenomenal' as guest makes 'show history'

Yahoo

17-03-2025

A BBC Antiques Roadshow guest made 'show history' with a collection of prints that date as far back as 1470. The roadshow returned on Sunday, March 16 where it visited Pollok Park in Glasgow, which makes up 360 acres of land and is home to the Burrell collection museum.
Expert Matthew Haley spoke to a guest who had brought in his collection of old prints. It included a sheet from "the first print press in Rome" and a print from William Caxton, the first English printer, among others.
The guest explained that he had developed a fascination for collecting the antiques due to his career in printing. Some of the collection was thanks to his wife who had "bought them as a treat" for him.
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Taken aback by the rare finds, Haley explained: "I mean talk about old prints. These are pretty much the oldest printed thing that we will ever see on the Antiques Roadshow."
He said: "There's a sheet of paper in here that was printed in 1470, 550 years ago - Gutenburg printing the Gutenburg bible in 1455. And that was an absolutely seminal change in basically the history of the human race.
"Without printing we wouldn't have had the reformation. It's like the kind of explosion that happened when the Internet came on to the scene. This was happening in the 1450s, 1460s and 1470s."
"For someone who's interested in books like me, this is absolute gold dust, it's really phenomenal." Haley estimated the collection to be worth somewhere between £5,000 to £10,000.
The astonished Glaswegian guest said: "Wow. Don't tell the wife", walking away knowing he had perhaps one of the rarest finds on the show to date.
Sunday's episode also saw expert Ishy Khan showcase a 60 karat Aquamarine ring. Uncovered from the Santa Maria mine, it had a staggering valuation of £40,000.
An early piece from one of Scotland's most famous painters Jack Vatriano, as well as Johnny Cash's mouth organ thrown to a fan from stage at a 1984 gig also made the line up. Viewers can catch Antiques Roadshow on BBC One, Sundays at 7pm.